Effectiveness of the Developed Preventive Behaviors Covid-19 Virus Program Among Village Health Volunteers in the Northeast of Thailand
Keywords:
Village Health Volunteers, COVID-19 Prevention Program, Preventive Behavior Role PerformanceAbstract
A quasi-experimental study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a behavioral development program for the prevention of COVID-19 among Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) in Northeastern Thailand. The sample consisted of 210 participants from two provinces: an experimental group from Kalasin province and a control group from Roi Et province. The experimental group received a 12-week comprehensive behavioral development program, while the control group received standard general health education. The program, implemented from August to October 2024, included six key activities: enhancing knowledge, reviewing VHV roles, designing prevention guidelines, improving screening skills, and providing motivation through health information access and positive emotional reinforcement. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used for data analysis, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. This study provides a model for strengthening community health interventions and improving VHV performance during public health crises.
The results showed no statistically significant difference in overall COVID-19 preventive behaviors between the experimental and control groups (95% CI = -0.58 to 3.19, p = 0.17). However, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher role performance in disease prevention compared to the control group (95% CI = 0.24 to 4.36, p = 0.02). These findings suggest that the program was effective in enhancing the preventive role performance of VHVs but may not be sufficient to improve overall preventive behaviors. Therefore, future programs should be further developed to emphasize skill-based training, participatory activities, and continuous support from families, communities, and health networks to promote sustainable behavioral change.
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